Trying to keep those 2 million gay Republican voters in his corner, I guess. (Embedded video corrected from earlier.)
27 June 2008
End-of-the-Week Levity
This scene from "South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut" always has me peeing my pants! (Warning: Very strong language.)
SCOTUS and Guns: Legislating From the Bench
I'll comment more on today's Supreme Court decision that overturned a 30-year-old law banning the possession of handguns in Washington, D.C., but needless to say the seriously misguided ruling has, without a doubt, made America less safe. Talk about "legislating from the bench!"
With any luck this ruling will put the issue of judicial appointments front and center in the presidential election. At least two seats look like they'll become vacant in the next presidential term; and with the Court flirting with a Fascist majority, a Democratic president is the only buffer to keep that majority from strengthening.
The courts are the one branch of government where a president's legacy will live for decades. The five justices who threw America's domestic security out the window today (Roberts, Alito, Kennedy, Scalia, and Thomas) were all appointed by Reagan or one of the Bushes. And they're probably not going anywhere soon, so it will be all that more vital to get Obama elected in November just to keep the progressive side of the court tredding water.
With any luck this ruling will put the issue of judicial appointments front and center in the presidential election. At least two seats look like they'll become vacant in the next presidential term; and with the Court flirting with a Fascist majority, a Democratic president is the only buffer to keep that majority from strengthening.
The courts are the one branch of government where a president's legacy will live for decades. The five justices who threw America's domestic security out the window today (Roberts, Alito, Kennedy, Scalia, and Thomas) were all appointed by Reagan or one of the Bushes. And they're probably not going anywhere soon, so it will be all that more vital to get Obama elected in November just to keep the progressive side of the court tredding water.
First Thing In the Morning
The Friday morning news...
-Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has brushed aside last minute calls for Friday's disputed presidential run-off election to be postponed or called off.
-A federal police commander has been shot dead in Mexico City, the latest in a long line of law enforcement personnel murdered in recent weeks. It is likely that he was targeted by drug cartels who are battling the authorities over a clamp down on their drug smuggling operations.
-Global markets have suffered heavy falls after a raft of bad news including a fresh record for the price of oil, which traded at more than $140 a barrel in New York on Thursday. Markets also reacted to signs that the global credit crunch was far from over.
-Hoping for a "change of tone" in relations, Russian and European Union leaders met Thursday in the Siberian city of Khanty-Mansiysk. It was the first such summit since Dmitry Medvedev became Russian president. The two-day summit is being held to launch negotiations on a new partnership and co-operation agreement.
-Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has brushed aside last minute calls for Friday's disputed presidential run-off election to be postponed or called off.
-A federal police commander has been shot dead in Mexico City, the latest in a long line of law enforcement personnel murdered in recent weeks. It is likely that he was targeted by drug cartels who are battling the authorities over a clamp down on their drug smuggling operations.
-Global markets have suffered heavy falls after a raft of bad news including a fresh record for the price of oil, which traded at more than $140 a barrel in New York on Thursday. Markets also reacted to signs that the global credit crunch was far from over.
-Hoping for a "change of tone" in relations, Russian and European Union leaders met Thursday in the Siberian city of Khanty-Mansiysk. It was the first such summit since Dmitry Medvedev became Russian president. The two-day summit is being held to launch negotiations on a new partnership and co-operation agreement.
26 June 2008
The Songs of Summer
Coldplay's new album, "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends," sold a whopping 721,000 copies and downloads during it's first week in release, and as a result it slams on to this week's Top 200 Album Chart at #1.
The title track is today's Song of Summer:
The title track is today's Song of Summer:
Competition for .com and .net
The engine that moves the 21st century continues to evolve...
From the BBC:
From the BBC:
A complete overhaul of the way people navigate the internet could begin following a crucial vote in Paris. The net's regulator Icann will vote to decide if the strict rules on so-called top level domain names, such as .com or .uk, can be relaxed. If approved, firms could turn brands into web addresses while individuals could also grab a unique domain based on their name, for example.
The SCOTUS Death Penalty Decision
In a 5 to 4 ruling, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled yesterday that the death penalty is unconstitutional as punishment for the rape of a child. As heinous and devastating as such a crime is, and even though the individuals who commit such acts are sub-human in my eyes, the justices made the right decision here.
I am one of the few Americans who is against the death penalty all together. If killing someone doesn't live up to the Constitution's protection against "cruel and unusual punishment," then I don't know what does. Murderers and rapists (especially those who rape an innocent child) are let off the hook way too easily if you kill them. I say let them sit in a cinder block jail cell in the middle of the desert with no visitation, no phone calls, no cell block socialization, and with no possibility for parole. Exercise and showers can be taken individually with guard supervision. That's how you punish this scum. Let them sit and rot while they think about what they did.
Moreover, the possibility that the state might execute the wrong person is another strong case against the death penalty. Cast in point: In 2002 several inmates on Illinois' death row were found innocent years or decades after-the-fact when advanced DNA testing cleared them of the crimes for which they had been sentenced to die. As a result, then-Governor George Ryan granted blanket commutation to all 167 death row inmates just days before leaving office.
Although the death penalty wasn't on the radar in Illinois' 1998 race for governor, that single act made me extremely proud of the vote I cast for Mr. Ryan - a Republican - on that year's ballot. (The Democratic candidate, Glenn Poschard, was actually much more conservative on most social issues, thus my Republican vote.)
The current court would never overturn the death penalty at the national level. There are too many Fascist-Conservatives sitting on that bench, unfortunately. But in this particular case, the Court made the right decision.
I am one of the few Americans who is against the death penalty all together. If killing someone doesn't live up to the Constitution's protection against "cruel and unusual punishment," then I don't know what does. Murderers and rapists (especially those who rape an innocent child) are let off the hook way too easily if you kill them. I say let them sit in a cinder block jail cell in the middle of the desert with no visitation, no phone calls, no cell block socialization, and with no possibility for parole. Exercise and showers can be taken individually with guard supervision. That's how you punish this scum. Let them sit and rot while they think about what they did.
Moreover, the possibility that the state might execute the wrong person is another strong case against the death penalty. Cast in point: In 2002 several inmates on Illinois' death row were found innocent years or decades after-the-fact when advanced DNA testing cleared them of the crimes for which they had been sentenced to die. As a result, then-Governor George Ryan granted blanket commutation to all 167 death row inmates just days before leaving office.
Although the death penalty wasn't on the radar in Illinois' 1998 race for governor, that single act made me extremely proud of the vote I cast for Mr. Ryan - a Republican - on that year's ballot. (The Democratic candidate, Glenn Poschard, was actually much more conservative on most social issues, thus my Republican vote.)
The current court would never overturn the death penalty at the national level. There are too many Fascist-Conservatives sitting on that bench, unfortunately. But in this particular case, the Court made the right decision.
First Thing In the Morning
Thursday's news...
-North Korea has handed over a long-awaited account of its nuclear program to China. The declaration, which is six months overdue, is expected to detail North Korea's plutonium enrichment efforts. But analysts say it is not expected to mention its alleged and separate uranium enrichment programme or any details of its nuclear arsenal. As a result of the release of information, President Bush will remove the country from his list of terrorits. Yes...even though they are a county which really does have weapons of mass destruction.
-The AIDS epidemic in some countries is so severe that it should be classified as a disaster, the Red Cross has warned. The crisis fits the UN definition of a disaster as an event beyond the scope of any single society to cope with, the group said.
-Militants in northwest Pakistan have burned down much of a hotel in the country's only ski resort. The night time attack follows sporadic clashes this week between militants and security forces.
-NBC has settled a lawsuit brought by the family of a man who killed himself when confronted with cameras for the TV show To Catch a Predator. "The matter has been amicably resolved to the satisfaction of both parties," NBC spokeswoman Jenny Tartikoff said in a statement. The network did not release monetary details.
-North Korea has handed over a long-awaited account of its nuclear program to China. The declaration, which is six months overdue, is expected to detail North Korea's plutonium enrichment efforts. But analysts say it is not expected to mention its alleged and separate uranium enrichment programme or any details of its nuclear arsenal. As a result of the release of information, President Bush will remove the country from his list of terrorits. Yes...even though they are a county which really does have weapons of mass destruction.
-The AIDS epidemic in some countries is so severe that it should be classified as a disaster, the Red Cross has warned. The crisis fits the UN definition of a disaster as an event beyond the scope of any single society to cope with, the group said.
-Militants in northwest Pakistan have burned down much of a hotel in the country's only ski resort. The night time attack follows sporadic clashes this week between militants and security forces.
-NBC has settled a lawsuit brought by the family of a man who killed himself when confronted with cameras for the TV show To Catch a Predator. "The matter has been amicably resolved to the satisfaction of both parties," NBC spokeswoman Jenny Tartikoff said in a statement. The network did not release monetary details.
25 June 2008
Polls, Polls, Polls
Several polls released over the past few days show some real movement toward Barack Obama.
Newsweek:
Indiana:
Pennsylvania:
Michigan:
Based on these polls and averages of other state-by-state polls, here is how the Electoral College would break if the election were held today...
Obama 356
McCain 182
(270 needed to win)
And North Carolina and North Dakota are surprisingly close. If those two states swung Obama's way, his electoral vote total would be 374. Keep in mind that President Bush received 271 votes in 2000, and 286 in 2004. 356 votes for Obama would be considered a tremendous victory in comparison.
Will it shake out that way in November? Who knows. But things are looking really good a little more than four months out.
Newsweek:
Obama 51%L.A. Times/Bloomberg:
McCain 36%
Obama 48%In the all important Electoral College, Obama looks to be giving the Republicans some major heartburn...
McCain 33%
Indiana:
Obama 48%This is a state that hasn't gone Democratic for president since 1964. But it borders Obama's home state of Illinois, and he is the first Democrat to actually campaign in the Hoosier state - and run campaign ads there - in a long, long time. Indiana is the first state in which polls close on Election Day. Normally the Republican ticket wins so overwhelmingly that the networks are able to call it right away. I'll be watching the state like a hawk this year. If the networks can't declare John McCain the winner of Indiana's 11 electoral votes as soon as polls close then it will more than likely be a very long and painful night for the Republican ticket.
McCain 47%
Pennsylvania:
Obama 46%The Republicans poured millions of dollars into Pennsylvania in both the 2000 and 2004 elections, hoping to bring the state back into their column for the first time since 1988. Both contests there were close, but Al Gore and John Kerry were able to beat back George W. Bush and keep the state blue. It looks to be close again this year; and the state's high senior citizen population is said to favor McCain. But Obama is more than holding his own. The poll above has him leading the Republican candidate by 4 points, and two other polls show him leading by 8 and 12 points respectively.
McCain 42%
Michigan:
Obama 48%This surprises me. Although Michigan has been a reliably Democratic state since 1992, they have always had a soft spot for John McCain. That, combined with Barack Obama's tough talk to Detroit's auto industry over fuel efficiency, led me to believe that Michigan might be the one sure bet to turn from blue to red this year. McCain was up by four points in the Great Lakes state last month, but Obama has performed quite well in two polls taken this past week, including the one mentioned above. The momentum seems to be on Obama's side.
McCain 39%
Based on these polls and averages of other state-by-state polls, here is how the Electoral College would break if the election were held today...
Obama 356
McCain 182
(270 needed to win)
And North Carolina and North Dakota are surprisingly close. If those two states swung Obama's way, his electoral vote total would be 374. Keep in mind that President Bush received 271 votes in 2000, and 286 in 2004. 356 votes for Obama would be considered a tremendous victory in comparison.
Will it shake out that way in November? Who knows. But things are looking really good a little more than four months out.
First Thing In the Morning
News for your hump day...
-The U.S. State Department will not recognize the outcome of Friday's presidential election run-off in Zimbabwe, saying that Robert Mugabe could not claim a legitimate victory amid the current campaign of violence against the opposition.
-Report: The replacement of traditional fuels with biofuels has dragged more than 30 million people worldwide into poverty and will do nothing to combat climate change.
-Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed a lawsuit yesterday against Countrywide Financial Corp. for engaging in "unfair and deceptive" practices to get homeowners to apply for risky mortgages far beyond their means.
-The U.S. State Department will not recognize the outcome of Friday's presidential election run-off in Zimbabwe, saying that Robert Mugabe could not claim a legitimate victory amid the current campaign of violence against the opposition.
-Report: The replacement of traditional fuels with biofuels has dragged more than 30 million people worldwide into poverty and will do nothing to combat climate change.
-Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed a lawsuit yesterday against Countrywide Financial Corp. for engaging in "unfair and deceptive" practices to get homeowners to apply for risky mortgages far beyond their means.
24 June 2008
Celebrating Carlin
When it came to the absolute ridiculousness of the human condition, Carlin always nailed it...
Taleban Thrives In Afghanistan
From the BBC:
The President of the United States is responsible for the failure to remove the governing faction of the terrorist group responsible for the attacks of 9/11, making the world - and our nation - less safe.
The Fascist-Republicans need to stop for a minute and think this through. Had "President Gore" fumbled this war so badly and so tragically, had "President Gore" taken his eye of the ball to fight a war of choice against a country that had nothing to do with 9/11, they would have impeached him and shipped him to the Hague to be charged with war crimes. Moreover, they would have called the Democrats incompetent on matters of war and peace and assured their party the presidency for decades. Why aren't you holding Mr. Bush to the same standard? The only reason I can think of is that he's a fellow Republican. And that makes you a traitor as far as I'm concerned.
Political party over national security? Talk about un-American!
The Taleban made an estimated $100m (£50m) in 2007 from Afghan farmers growing poppy for the opium trade. Antonio Maria Costa, head of the UN's Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), said the money was raised by a 10% tax on farmers in Taleban-controlled areas.So not only are these guys getting away with murder, they're getting filthy rich. All the while we're in Iraq doing...well...doing what, exactly?
The President of the United States is responsible for the failure to remove the governing faction of the terrorist group responsible for the attacks of 9/11, making the world - and our nation - less safe.
The Fascist-Republicans need to stop for a minute and think this through. Had "President Gore" fumbled this war so badly and so tragically, had "President Gore" taken his eye of the ball to fight a war of choice against a country that had nothing to do with 9/11, they would have impeached him and shipped him to the Hague to be charged with war crimes. Moreover, they would have called the Democrats incompetent on matters of war and peace and assured their party the presidency for decades. Why aren't you holding Mr. Bush to the same standard? The only reason I can think of is that he's a fellow Republican. And that makes you a traitor as far as I'm concerned.
Political party over national security? Talk about un-American!
First Thing In the Morning
Your Tuesday morning news...
-From Israel: Gunshots fired at the Tel Aviv airport while French President Sarkozy, Israeli Prime Minister Olmert, and former Prime Minister Shimon Peres are there. Leaders were rushed away and are safe.
-Breaking the truce announced last week, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip fired two rockets into the Israeli border town of Sderot today. No casualties have been reported.
-South Africa's governing ANC party has accused the Zimbabwean government of "riding roughshod" over democracy. The party said it was "dismayed" by the authorities' actions, and that free and fair elections were not possible. Oppposition presidential candidate Morgan Tsvangirai announced this past weekend that he was pulling, citing widespread violence as the reason.
- President Bush on Monday nominated a top logistics officer to be the first female four-star general in U.S. history, tapping Lt. Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody to head the command responsible for supplying the Army with all its equipment.
-From Israel: Gunshots fired at the Tel Aviv airport while French President Sarkozy, Israeli Prime Minister Olmert, and former Prime Minister Shimon Peres are there. Leaders were rushed away and are safe.
-Breaking the truce announced last week, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip fired two rockets into the Israeli border town of Sderot today. No casualties have been reported.
-South Africa's governing ANC party has accused the Zimbabwean government of "riding roughshod" over democracy. The party said it was "dismayed" by the authorities' actions, and that free and fair elections were not possible. Oppposition presidential candidate Morgan Tsvangirai announced this past weekend that he was pulling, citing widespread violence as the reason.
- President Bush on Monday nominated a top logistics officer to be the first female four-star general in U.S. history, tapping Lt. Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody to head the command responsible for supplying the Army with all its equipment.
George Carlin, 1937 - 2008
The sad news from yesterday...comedian George Carlin died of heart failure. He was 71. Very few made me laugh more, and I don't think anyone else understood America - and Americans - as much as Carlin.
23 June 2008
Obama / Webb ?
The Chicago Tribune's James Oliphant thinks the freshman senator from Virginia and former Secretary of the Navy would be an extremely smart choice as Barack Obama's running mate. As Oliphant says:
It is widely speculated that Obama will need to choose a vice presidential nominee versed in national security matters, perhaps with a strong military background, to attempt to blunt the edge his opponent, John McCain, carries in those arenas. Webb seems made-to-order...A decorated war hero, a "Reagan Democrat" who has been an outspoken critic of the Iraq War (and by extension, President Bush), and the man who beat the hapless George "Macaca" Allen in 2006, Sen. Webb would bring a much needed balance to the Democratic ticket; and would more than assure that Viriginia, where Obama is already holding his own against McCain, is in the Democratic column for the first time since 1964.
The Songs of Summer
The review I posted in 2007 on Amazon.com of "The Fox," Elton John's overlooked gem of an album from 1981:
"The Fox," Elton John's first album for Geffen Records, went largely unnoticed in the summer of 1981. And that is a shame because the set is full of wonderful tunes. The first two tracks, "Breaking Down Barriers" and "Heart In the Right Place" are classic Elton; and the title track could just as easily fit in on 2001's "Songs From the West Coast" or 2006's "The Captain and the Kid" as on this release.Today's song of summer is the title track to this classic album. It's one the best compositions in the Elton John/Bernie Taupin library. Enjoy "The Fox"...
The first single, "Nobody Wins," tells the story of lost love backed by swirling synthesizers and a haunting piano hook. The track took off on radio upon release in 1981 and raced up the lower half of the Hot 100 singles chart before stalling quickly at a disappointing number 21. "Chloe," is a wonderful ballad, yet only managed to make it to number 34 on the chart.
"Fascist Faces" has found its way back into my rotating music library. With the Republicans in control of all three branches of the American government during 6 of the last 7 years, the song takes on new meaning.
"Heels of the Wind" is an uplifting precursor to "I'm Still Standing" yet stands on its own merits. Had it been released as a single, it probably would have done well.
Finally, no review of "The Fox" would be complete without a mention of the superb "Elton's Song." A heart-wrenching ballad of a school boy-on-boy crush. Sir Elton's vocals cut deep and the writing shows early indications of songs he would later write for movies and stage.
The next time a retrospective of Elton's music is released, the producers would do well to include a track or two from "The Fox." This is a wonderful album and I urge you to give it a listen.
Unacceptable
Quote of the Day:
The failure of the airline industry and how to best address it is going to be one of the next president's top domestic problems. Things can't continue as they are without a total collapse of the industry. And when the airlines collapse, the American economy - so dependent on air travel - will collapse with it.
For a president who wants to be remembered for how he handled 9/11, President Bush has been a complete and absolute failure on the two issues that were most affected by those attacks: energy and the airlines. That the Bush administration has turned a blind eye to these dire problems will, when they finally (FINALLY) leave office, be among the numerous absoulte failures for which they will be remembered.
Say it with me: The. Worst. President. Ever.
Surveying the decline of the airline industry...what we have now is a complete mess - a system that bankrupts carriers, embitters workers and infuriates the traveling public. But hold off on airlines for a moment and ponder his larger point.-Washington Post columnist David Ignatius on the government's failure to keep our domestic airlines from drowning.
Take any big issue that matters to the public...and what you see is a failure of government.
The failure of the airline industry and how to best address it is going to be one of the next president's top domestic problems. Things can't continue as they are without a total collapse of the industry. And when the airlines collapse, the American economy - so dependent on air travel - will collapse with it.
For a president who wants to be remembered for how he handled 9/11, President Bush has been a complete and absolute failure on the two issues that were most affected by those attacks: energy and the airlines. That the Bush administration has turned a blind eye to these dire problems will, when they finally (FINALLY) leave office, be among the numerous absoulte failures for which they will be remembered.
Say it with me: The. Worst. President. Ever.
Brokaw Will Take "Meet the Press" Until November
NBC News announced Sunday that Tom Brokaw will moderate "Meet the Press" through this year's presidential election in November. The former anchor of NBC Nightly News is taking on the job following the unexpected death last week of Tim Russert.The way I see it, this was the only move NBC could make right now (at both the business and personal levels). Brokaw is the perfect choice to take the show through the end of the year. He will bring a steady hand to a show that was sent reeling at the news of Russert's passing; and his credibility is beyond reproach.
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